[Tex/LaTex] Anyone know a good template for formal letters

letterstemplates

Occasionally, I write letters that I actually print out and send by snail mail :).

I'd like them to look as formal as possible. Archaic (pre-typewriter) Dutch customs require the sender's address to be in the top left corner and the recipient's in the top right. The place and date should be aligned with the recipient's address. The sign off ("Yours truly") should also be aligned with that.

Of course there are also specific rules for the amount of vertical whitespace.

Does anyone know of a good package that lets me customize all this stuff, preferably in a .sty file or something that I can include, so I don't have to do it again for every letter?

Best Answer

Most sites point to the options below for formal letters:

  • akletter for German business letters;
  • newlfm for US-centric letters, faxes and memos;
  • dinbrief for German letters;
  • brief in the Dutch ntgclass bundle;
  • scrlttr2 in the KOMA-Script bundle.

Here is my .tex code for a formal letter or an invoice based on scrlttr2 (part of KOMA-script). I found the package flexible enough for my needs.

\documentclass[brief]{scrlttr2}

\setkomavar{yourref}{Microspino \\Address XX }
\setkomavar{yourmail}{mail@microspino.com}
\setkomavar{myref}{Your Refn. XXX}
\setkomavar{customer}{Client Name \\ Comapny name}
\setkomavar{invoice}{VAT NUMBER \\ IBAN}
\setkomavar{date}{\today}
\setkomavar{subject}{The very true reason I'm writing this thing}

\begin{document}
\begin{letter}
{FirstNameTO LastNameTO\\
Address. XX\\
00100 Siena, Italy
}

\opening{Your majesty,}

Bla bla bla ....

\closing{All the best,}

\end{letter}
\end{document}

I'd like to add another tex letter source with a logo on the top-left and rulers, based on newlfm Remember to put a logo.pdf in the same folder of it otherwise it will complain:

\documentclass[10pt,stdletter]{newlfm}
\usepackage{charter}

\widowpenalty=1000
\clubpenalty=1000

\newsavebox{\Luiuc}
\sbox{\Luiuc}{%
    \parbox[b]{1.75in}{%
        \vspace{0.5in}%
        \includegraphics[scale=1.0,ext=.pdf]
        {logo.pdf}%
    }%
}%

\makeletterhead{Uiuc}{\Lheader{\usebox{\Luiuc}}}

\newlfmP{headermarginskip=20pt}
\newlfmP{sigsize=50pt}
\newlfmP{dateskipafter=20pt}
\newlfmP{addrfromphone}
\newlfmP{addrfromemail}
\PhrPhone{Phone}
\PhrEmail{Email}

\lthUiuc

\namefrom{Daniele Spinosa}
\addrfrom{%
    Polyfunctional Laboratory\\
    Casal dei Pazzi\\
    Siena, SI Italy 53100
}

\phonefrom{000-000-0000}
\emailfrom{nnnn@nnn.edu}

\addrto{%
Faculty of Somewhere\\
Department of Null and Nothing\\
Vacuum University\\
NoLand, XX 0000-0000}

\greetto{To Whom It May Concern,}
\closeline{Sincerely,}
\begin{document}
\begin{newlfm}

Let's talk about Italian developers...\\
Let's assume they are talented...\\
Let's assume they are skilled...\\
Let's assume they have a good government...\\
Ok Let's talk about real things.

\end{newlfm}

\end{document}